Tape and components for tape and reel packaging

ABSTRACT

A combination of a carrier tape and electronic components for a tape and reel product feed, includes components arranged along the carrier tape held by an adhesive surface. Also, a dispensing device receives the carrier tape and includes a mechanism for peeling the components from the carrier tape onto a staging surface. The mechanism includes a gap and the carrier tape extends through the gap and the components are peeled from the carrier tape over the gap and onto the staging surface. A method is provided for carrying components on a tape using an adhesive surface and peeling the components off of the tape in a controlled fashion, one component after another, onto a staging surface for removal by a pick device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to methods for packaging electronic components,and in particular to a tape and reel packaging process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A tape and reel packaging system is a system often used in theelectronics industry for shipping surface mount devices for automatedcircuit board assembly. In tape and reel packaging systems, surfacemounted electronic components such as capacitors, resisters, andsubstrates, and other components, are deposited into specificallydesigned pockets in a carrier tape, which provides a continuous array ofpockets. A cover tape is used to seal the pockets to keep the componentsin place. The tape is then wound into a reel for packaging and shipping.

The reel is loaded for use with pick-and-place machines which can easilypick up the surface mount devices for placement when the reel is unwoundand after the cover tape has been peeled back from the carrier tape.Surface mount devices contained in the reel can be fed through pick-andplace machines at high speeds, and in a consistent orientation becausethe orientation of the component as it was packaged is preserved, thussaving time and facilitating placement by machines. The use of tapedproducts in conjunction with a pick-and-place machine eliminates theneed for additional equipment, such as part alignment and orientationdevices.

Tape and reel packaging systems can hold hundreds to thousands ofsurface mounted components or devices which requires less frequentloading, thus reducing labor and manufacturing costs.

Existing carrier tape packaging systems typically include a carrier tapewith a plurality of cavities or pockets arranged in a row, such as thepackaging system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,606,171 and 4,657,137,wherein small electronic components are placed in the pockets. A backingtape is used to seal the components in place within the cavities forshipping. The backing tape may be a thin flexible gel layer such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,765, which holds the component in placesecurely during the packaging, transporting, and loading process. U.S.Pat. No. 4,724,958 provides a carrier tape comprising a plurality ofrows of cavities. The carrier tapes typically include a column ofindexing holes that are used to drive the tape at a controlled rate.

The use of carrier tape with spaced apart formed pockets requires aprecise placement of components into the pockets, typically done by pickand place robotic arms.

The present inventor has recognized the need for a carrier tape forholding components which decreases material costs as well as assemblycosts of the components onto an article.

The present inventor has recognized the need for a carrier tape whichreduces the thickness of the carrier tape and components for a moredensely packed carrier tape/component reel.

The present inventor has recognized the need for a carrier tape whichalleviates the requirement for precise placement of components intopockets on a carrier tape.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention provides a combination of a carrier tape and electroniccomponents for a tape and reel product feed. The combination includes aplurality of components and a carrier tape having an adhesive surface,the components arranged along the carrier tape being held by theadhesive surface.

The invention also provides an assembly for holding and dispensingcomponents that includes a carrier tape having an adhesive surfaceholding components and a dispensing device having a surface forreceiving the carrier tape with components and having a mechanism forpeeling the components from the carrier tape.

The dispensing device can also include a corner adjacent to a stagingsurface, wherein the carrier tape is drawn over the corner andcomponents are peeled onto the staging surface. The dispensing devicecan include a first block portion that carries the carrier tape and asecond block portion that carries the staging surface. The corner isadjacent to a gap between the first and second block portions, whereinthe carrier tape extends through the gap and the components are peeledfrom the carrier tape over the gap and onto the staging surface.

The first block portion can be a separate piece from the second blockportion. The dispensing device can include a cap portion that covers atop run of the carrier tape at least over the first block portion. Thestaging surface can comprise a length at least as long as two componentssuch that a lead component will be pushed along the staging surface by atrailing component being peeled off the carrier tape either pushingdirectly or through an intervening component.

The staging surface can include a pick up area where components areremoved for processing, and include an optical sensor below the pick uparea to communicate to machine control the presence or absence of acomponent in the pick up area.

The invention also provides a method of carrying components anddispensing components for assembly. The method includes the steps of:

providing an elongated strip having an adhesive surface;

applying components to the adhesive surface;

providing a dispensing apparatus;

feeding the elongated strip with attached components into the dispensingapparatus; and

using the dispensing apparatus, peeling components off of the elongatedstrip onto a staging surface.

The step of peeling can also be further defined in that the stagingsurface has a pick up area, and wherein a trailing component peeled fromthe elongated strip pushes a leading component into the pick up areaeither directly or through an intervening component.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention willbecome readily apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier tape with held components;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of a dispensingmechanism interacting with the carrier tape with held components of FIG.1 with parts removed to view underlying parts;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled dispensing mechanisminteracting with the carrier tape with held components of FIG. 2 in afirst stage of dispensing;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled dispensing mechanisminteracting with the carrier tape with held components of FIG. 3 in asecond stage of dispensing;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled dispensing mechanisminteracting with the carrier tape with held components of FIG. 3 in athird stage of dispensing;

FIG. 5A is a sectional view taken generally along line 5A-5A of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken generally along line 5B-5B of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembled dispensing mechanisminteracting with the carrier tape with held components of FIG. 5 with acover; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate carrier tape with heldcomponents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein indetail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention and is not intended to limit the inventionto the specific embodiments illustrated.

FIG. 1 illustrates a combination 10 of carrier tape and componentsincluding a carrier tape 12 and components 20 according to an aspect ofthe invention. The carrier tape 12 includes an adhesive surface 22having sufficient adhesion to releasably secure the components to thetape 12. The components 20 illustrated advantageously have flat bottomsto provide a sufficient interface between the components and the tape toensure sticking of the components to the tape 12. The components can beelectronic parts such as metal tabs, covers, circuit elements, boardlevel components, capacitors, resistors, MEMS devices, and the like. Thecomponents can have a width U and a length V and be spaced apart in thelongitudinal direction L by a spacing S. According to the illustratedembodiment the dimensions U can be 3 mm, V can be 8 mm and the spacing Scan be 0.50 mm. Other sizes and spacings are possible. The tape 12 canhave a width W that is less than the width V as shown, although a widthW of equal to or greater than the width V is possible. Although a linearupper run and a linear lower run of combination 10 are shown it isunderstood that the combination 10 would be wound and stored in a reeland unrolled and dispensed into the upper run on the right side of FIG.1 or the left side in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates the combination 10 engaged with a dispensingapparatus 28. Parts of the dispensing apparatus are removed in order toview underlying parts. The combination 10 is wrapped around a guideblock 30 (see FIG. 5A) and moves longitudinally in the direction L1 on atop run from left to right and longitudinally in the direction L2 on abottom run from right to left. The combination 10 is laterally guided bya side block 32 along a recessed sidewall 33. The guide block 30includes a top surface 30 a, a corner 30 b and a curved under surface 30c. The top surface 30 a, the corner 30 b and the under surface 30 c canhave a consistent width X equal to or slightly wider than the width W ofthe tape 12 and preferably a lesser width than the width V of thecomponents. The tape 12 is wrapped around the top surface 30 a, thecorner 30 b and the under surface 30 c of the guide block 30.

FIG. 3 illustrates the complete assembled apparatus 28 which includes afront side block 36 and an end block 40 which substantially conceal theguide block 30 in FIG. 3. The front side block 36 is substantiallymirror image identical to the side block 32 across a vertical,longitudinal centerplane of the tape 12 except for being thinner in thelateral direction K. The side block 36 includes a recessed sidewall 41parallel to the recessed sidewall 33 and together the sidewalls 33, 41laterally guide the combination 10 for movement in the longitudinaldirection L. The opposite lateral outer edges of the components 20 areclosely fit against the sidewalls 33, 41 and are guided for longitudinalmovement thereby. The end block 40 provides a guide indentation 42 thatacts a staging area for components 20 peeled off the tape 12. The guideindentation includes recessed sidewalls 33 a, 41 a that arecontinuations of the recessed sidewalls 33, 41 and have the same depth.The recessed sidewalls 33 a, 41 a guide the lateral edges of thecomponents 20 for longitudinal movement in the same way as the recessedsidewalls 33, 41. An optical sensor 44 is arranged below the indentationto sense the presence of a component reaching an end region of theindentation, referred to as a pick up position 46.

Carrier tape 12 is a continuous smooth ribbon-like film with a width “W”and a thickness “T” which are selected to suit the size and weightrequirements of the electronic components 20. The carrier tape 12 may bemade of plastic, such as polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and thelike, or plain paper.

An electrically conductive carrier tape can be used for carryingelectronic components which may be susceptible to damage due to anelectrostatic charge. A carrier tape may be made electricallyconductive, for example, by mixing carbon into a foamed plastic, such aspolyethylene.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the corner 30 b separated by a gap 30 d froman indented edge 40 e within a notched region 40 n of the end block 40.The corner 30 b fits partially into the notched region 40 n. The tape 12partially fills the gap 30 d as it wraps around the corner 30 b. thesensor 44 senses the presence of a components in the pick up area andcommunicates to a control 43 that can be used to control a pick andplace apparatus for removing the component 20 a and subsequentcomponents from the pick up area.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate a progression of components 20 peeled off of thetape 12. In FIG. 3 a first or leading component 20 a is peeled from thetape as the tape is threaded down through the gap between the guideblock and the end block. FIG. 4 shows the leading component 20 a pushedto the right on the staging surface 42 by a trailing component 20 bpeeled off of the tape 12. FIG. 5 shows the leading component 20 apushed further to the right into a pick up area 46 by a subsequentcomponent 20 c peeled from the tape 12 pushing the trailing component 20b against the leading component 20 a.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cover or cap 50 that can be fit over thecombination 10 and the blocks 30, 32, 36 but leaving the pick up area 46uncovered for access by a pick and place robot arm or the like to removethe component 20 a and subsequent components.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment combination 10′ that includesthe tape 12 and a different component 20′. In this embodiment thecomponent can be any component, advantageously a component having a flatbottom, such as LED bulbs or lamps, for engagement by the adhesive side22 of the tape 12. Each component can have a square base having sidewidth Q and a longitudinal spacing R between components 20′ on the tape12. The width Q can be 2.5 mm and the spacing R can be 0.3 mm. Othersizes and spacings are possible.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation withrespect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended orshould be inferred.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A combination of a carrier tape andelectronic components for a tape and reel product feed, comprising aplurality of components and a carrier tape having an adhesive surface,the components arranged along the carrier tape held by the adhesivesurface.
 2. An assembly for holding and dispensing components,comprising: a carrier tape having an adhesive surface; a dispensingdevice having a surface for receiving the carrier tape with componentsheld on the adhesive surface and having a mechanism for peeling thecomponents from the carrier tape.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2,wherein the dispensing device comprises a corner adjacent to a stagingsurface, wherein said carrier tape is drawn over said corner andcomponents are peeled onto the staging surface.
 4. The apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein the dispensing device comprises a firstblock portion that carries the carrier tape and a second block portionthat carries the staging surface and the corner is adjacent a gapbetween the first and second block portions, wherein the carrier tapeextends through the gap and the components are peeled from the carriertape over the gap and onto the staging surface.
 5. The apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the first block portion is a separatepiece from the second block portion.
 6. The apparatus according to claim4, comprising a cap portion that covers a top side of the carrier tapewith components at least over the first block portion.
 7. The apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the staging surface comprises a length atleast as long as two components such that a lead component will bepushed along the staging surface by a trailing component being peeledoff the carrier tape.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein thestaging surface includes a pick up area wherein components are removedfor processing, and including an optical sensor below the pick up areato communicate to machine control the presence or absence of a componentin the pick up area.
 9. A method of carrying components and dispensingcomponents for assembly comprising the steps of: providing an elongatedstrip having an adhesive surface; applying components to the adhesivesurface; providing a dispensing apparatus; feeding the elongated stripwith attached components into the dispensing apparatus; using thedispensing apparatus, peeling components off of the elongated strip ontoa staging surface.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step ofpeeling is further defined in that the staging surface has a pick uparea, and wherein a trailing component peeled from the elongated strippushes a leading component into the pick up area.